Joy Division to visit Parliament suicide event in memory of Ian Curtis

Two of the surviving members of 1970s post-punk band Joy Division are set to attend an event in Parliament to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

The gathering on 18 May will take place from 4pm to 6pm in Speaker’s House. Hosted by Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, it aims to raise awareness of suicide and mental health services.

After the suicide of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis in 1980, guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris regrouped with bassist Peter Hook to found the band New Order.

Sumner and Morris will join a panel discussion and question and answer session, along with Simon Gunning, chief executive of the male suicide prevention charity CALM, and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester.

Labour leader Keir Starmer and minister for mental health Gillian Keegan have also been invited to speak.

The event was originally due to be held two years ago to mark the 40th anniversary of Curtis’ death but was delayed due to the Covid pandemic. McCarthy told The House that Joy Division was her favourite band growing up, and she saw them perform live up to 40 times.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Labour MP paid tribute to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, whose daughter Natalie died in 2017.

McCarthy said: “I’d like to thank Mr Speaker, who has his own experience of a tragic suicide in the family, for letting us do this. We can’t bring back those we have lost to suicide, but we hope that an event like this will help prevent some of the 5,000-plus suicides that take place each year.”